Otterbein College Department of Theatre and Dance and Department of Music Present...
Book by Arthur Kopit Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston Based on the novel "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux Originally Produced in the United States at Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, Texas • Originally directed by Charles Abbott
Director Dennis Romer Music Director Craig Johnson Assistant Music Director Stephen Monroe Choreographer Stella Hiatt Kane Fight Choreographer Timothy Veach Guest Scenic Designer Dan Gray Lighting Designer Rob Johnson Guest Costume Designer David Robinson Associate Costume Designer/Shop Supervisor Marcia Hain Technical Director Timothy D. Allwein Associate Technical Director William R. Kaiser Assistant Technical Director Fred L. Smith Guest Sound Designer David Mead Student Sound Designer Cynthia L. Kehr Production Assistant Patrick H. Wallace
April 25 at 7:30 p.m., April 26, 27 at 8:00 p.m., April 28 at 2:00 p.m., May 2, 3, 4 at 8:00 p.m.
Cowan Hall Otterbein College 30 South Grove Street Westerville, OH 43081
Phantom is produced through sepcial arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., 45 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10010.
PRODUCTION STAFF Artistic Director...................... Managing Director.................. Stage Manager......................... Assistant Stage Managers....... . Assistant Production Assistant Specialty Rigging.................... Charge Scenic Artist.............. Stitcher................................... Master Painter........................ Master Welder........................ Master Carpenter.................... Properties Master................... Assistant Lighting Designer ... Master Electrician................. Assistant Master Electrician... Wardrobe Master................... Audio Engineer..................... Sound Assistants................... House Managers...................
........................................ Dennis Romer ............................................. Tod Wilson ................................. Sheree Lyn Greco* Wade Beam*, Melissa Maite Muguruza* .......................................... Marni Kuhn* ............................. Michael W. Hamblin ....................................... Chris Sweetman ...................................Donna Williamson ......................................... Amy Kaufman ............................... William L. Cecil III* ..............................................Randy Bosh .......................................... Krisdee Bires* .............................................. Jesse Truett ........................S. E. Reinick* ...............................................Joe Mitchell ........................................ Julia Berkhofer* ...................................... Cynthia L. Kehr* ........................Andrew Hagan, Bill Wells .....................Laura Berlin, Jenny Keplar*
Set Crew Nicole Hersh, Meg Morman, Michael P. Foley*, Dane Wolfe Shop Carpenters Randy Bosh*, Kathlyn D. Brandt**, William L. Cecil III*, Mike Chaney, George Deshetler, Andrew Hagan, Robert Holland, Amy Kaufman, Joe Mitchell, Peter Nein, S. E. Reinick*, Matt Sharpless, Patrick H. Wallace*, Bill Wells, Dane Wolfe Scene Shop Assistants Marc Donmoyer, Joshua Gilliam, Katie Pees, Christopher Sloan, K. Brent Tomer Costume Shop Assistants Krisdee Bires*, Nicole Hersh, Laura Lane, Meg Morman, Tamara Sommerfeld** Wardrobe Crew Robin Borovic, Mike Chaney, Tricia Collins, Melodie McDowell, Becky Morrison, Rob Tracy, Nathan Weaver Properties Crew Brian Davis, Kelly Reeves Electrics Crew Damon Decker, Michael Faber*, Rob Fleming, Tobias Fulp, Thomas Garloch, Dan Koscielak, Amber Mellott, Shawn Theis Box Office Assistants Wade Beam*, Corey Brill*, Rachel Chaves*, Amy Ellenberger, Michael P. Foley*, Sam Jaeger, Jenny Keplar*, Sara Laudonia*, Victoria Libertore*, Jenny McGowan* * Indicates membership in Cap &. Dagger ** Indicates membership in Theta Alpha Phi Theatre Honorary
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BalletMet Columbus, Ruth Boyd, Mark Campbell, CAPA, Chris Clapp, The Cleve land Playhouse, Costume Specialists, K-L Management, Ohio Northern University, The Ohio State University, Schell Scenic Studio, Dave Steinmetz, Donna Williamson
THE CAST THE PHANTOM......... .....................................................................Ben Sprunger* CHRISTINE DAEE................................................................. Heather McClellan* CARLOT1A............................................................................ Marianne Timmons* GERARD CARRIERE................................................................. Adam Donmoyer* THE COUNT DE CHANDON.........................................................• Corey Brill** CHOLET............................. .................................................................Jason Nettle* INSPECTOR LEDOUX.....................................................................................SteveLhamon JEAN'CLAUDE............................. ......................... ........................Marc Donmoyer BUQUET..............................................................................................................JoshFreshour ENSEMBLE Carmel A. Avegnon*, Corey Brill**, Emily Marie Cotton*, Katie Davis, Christopher Scot Dean, Eric Dysart, Jeremy Fulwiler, Joshua Gilliam, Scott Green*, Andrew Hanson, Adam Judd, Jeremy S. Lahman, Julie Laureano*, Heidi Letzmann*, Ryan Migge, Cara Miller**, Katie Pees, Celina Clarich Polanco*, Aaron W. Ramey*, Christopher Sloan*, Becky Snow*, Shad Swinehart, K. Brent Tomer, Susan May Zimmerman* BALLERINAS Rachel Chaves*, Jessica Luniewsky*, G. Arwen Nichols* * Indicates membership in Cap & Dagger ** Indicates membership in Theta Alpha Phi Theatre Honorary
MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT I Melody De Paris Dressing for the N ight Where in the World This Place is Mine Home Phantom Fugue I Phantom Fugue II You Are Music Bistro Who Could Ever Have Dreamed Up You This Place is Mine-Reprise Titania ACT II Without Your Music Where in the World-Reprise The Story of Erik, Part I The Story of Erik, Part II ,
My True Love
My Mother Bore Me You Are My Own
THE ORCHESTRA
'Violin........................................ Meg Barkhymer, Heather Collins, Jennifer Collins Viola.............................................................................. Jim Konzen, Cindy Konzen Cello.................................................. . Terri Boselli, Dorothee Mertz, Mary Tanner Bass..................................................................................................Eric Van Wagner Flute/Piccolo.........................................................Liz Ciampa, Betsy Schickendantz Oboe/English Horn...................................................................... Stephani Yurkanin Clarinet....................................................................Misha jovanic, James Saltzgiver Bassoon......................... ............................................................................ Katie Kieft Horn..................................................................... Michelle Lohr, Amy Voellmecke Trumpet............................................ Phil Bovenizer, Christy Fambauch, Bob Petty Trombone............................................................................................................ RichHowensti Percussion................................................................................................Ter Estesen Keyboard............................ ................................................... Beth Burrier Bradstreet Harp................................................................................ Sharon Avis, Kathie Bracy Rehearsal accompanists Beth Burrier Bradstreet, Craig Johnson, Stephen Monroe, Ann Sparks Acknowledgements Beth Burrier Bradstreet, Jack Jenny, Gary Tirey, Eric Van Wagner
BIOGRAPHIES Dennis Romer (Director) is directing his fifth spring musical for Otterbein. Previous musicals were Evita, Man of La Mancha, Into the Woods and Pippin. He has always been attracted to the “Phantom” story on many levels and is especially drawn to the deep emotion of this version. Dennis would like to dedicate his work on this production to his parents, Les and Marcia Romer. Craig Johnson (Music Director) is Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Otterbein ^d holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Cincinnati. In the Department of Music, he directs the Concert Choir and Opus One, and teaches music theory and conducting. He is active in the opera theatre program and frequently serves o f'Campus as an adjudicator, clinician and baritone soloist. He co-authored The Chorus in Opera: A Guide to the Repertory, and is active in several different professional organizations, currently serving as President-Elect of the Ohio Choral Directors Associa tion. He is Senior and Bell Choir Director at Peace Lutheran, Gahanna. Phantom is the seventeenth musical production for which Dr. Johnson has either provided musical or vocal direction at Otterbein College. Stella Hiatt Kane (Choreographer) has been a member of the Otterbein College Theatre and Dance faculty since 1989, a member of the BalletMet Academy faculty, and the founding artistic director of JazzMet. Ms. Kane has been a member of the National and International companies of The American Dance Machine and has appeared with the national companies of Sugar, and Bob Fosse’s Dancin’. Ms. Kane has taught for N ew York’s ^ American Dance Machine/Harkness House, The Actor’s and Director s Lab, Dance Educators of America, and Dance Olympus. Her choreographic credits include not only an eclectic range of concert repetoire, but several musical theatre productions including A Chorus Line, 1940’s Radio Hour, Stepping Out, Baby, Sweet Charity, and the awardwinning Otterbein production of Pippin for which she received the Central Ohio Critics award for Best Choreography. Dan Gray (Guest Scenic Designer) is happy to be making his Otterbein debut by finally opening Phantom! Central Ohio audiences may be familiar with Dan’s work as a scenic designer in and around Columbus where he has designed more than 40 productions in the last four years. These include productions for Players Theatre Columbus (where he nearly opened Phantom!), CATCO, Columbus Light Opera, OSU Theatre, OSU Opera, Ehoenix Theatre Circle, Theatre Lancaster, The Human Race Theatre Company (Day^on), and The Dayton Playhouse. Before moving to Columbus, Dan worked as a freelance artist/designer in NYC. Recently, Mr. Gray’s most impressive credit ishis marriage to the ovely and talented Mary (Trapp) Gray.
David Robinson (Guest Costume Designer) teturns to Otterbein after last designing costumes for the 1986 summer production of Plenty. His tecent film credits include costume design for Wishful Thinking, The Basketball Diaries and Richard III with A1 Pacino. As an associate costume designer he’s worked on the films Carlito’s Way, The Cowboy Way and Romeo is Bleeding. His theatre credits include assistant to costume designer Maria Bjornson on the Broadway, Los Angeles and Chicago productions of Phantom of the Opera, as well as costume designs for Players Theatre of Columbus, The Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, The Birmingham Theatre, La Mama ETC and the Children’s Theatre of Minneapolis. Rob Johnson (Light Designer) is our resident scenic and lighting designer and assistant professor in the design/tech area. Over the past two seasons Rob has earned Ezekiel Design Awards for 1 Hate Hamlet, Pippin, Androcles and the Lion and Sweet Charity. He was also cited by The Columbus Dispatch for Best Lighting Design for his work on Six Degrees of Separation. Rob continues to be at the forefront of computer-aided design and animation. Two of his animations were on display at the USITT national convention in Nashville, and he is now teaching a number of classes in computer graphics. Rob would like to dedicate his work in memory of his father.
HISTORY OF THE PLAY Surprise! It’s not the Andrew Lloyd Webber version (which, by the way, is titled Phantom of the Opera ) nor is it the Ken Hill version, John Kenley’s version, nor Drury Lane’s Phantom of the Opera. Its not Universal’s 1925 silent film, Terence Fisher’s horror version in 1962, or Brian DePalma’s rock-biz satire film “The Phantom of the Paradise” (1974). It’s not even Santo vs. The Strangler a Mexican-wrestling version of the Phantom story. No, this is the Kopit/Yeston version known simply as Phantom. But, like all “Phantoms” the Kopit/Yeston take finds its inspiration in Gaston Leroux’s romantic mystery novel “le Fantome de I’Opera,” first published in 1911. Gaston Leroux (1868-1927) was botn in Paris. Leroux described himself as a lawyer, stage critic, writer on hygiene, newspaper correspondent, and mystery writer. Critics regard his “Phantom of the Opera” novel as one of his lesser works. Nonetheless, as shown by the many versions in existence, his story has a vital appeal. The Kopit/Yeston exploration of that appeal began in 1984. Geoffery Holder, who eventually directed and choreographed the New York production of Phantom, owned the international rights to the novel. He approached Kopit and Yeston, who had collaborated previously on Nine, to begin work on a musical adaptation. Work on the project started, but just as the Holder team began to seek financial backing, the rights to the novel expired, and Leroux’s Phantom became public domain. The Andrew Lloyd Webber version was immediately announced, and no one was willing to risk backing Kopit and Yeston against “the British juggernaut.” Despite comple tion of the sctipt in 1985, the project was abandoned, and Kopit went on to write Road to Nirvana, while Yeston worked on the score of Grand Hotel and to compose Goya. Nearly six years later, in 1991 Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars heard about the Kopit/Yeston version and launched a 1.5 million dollar production. Other productions followed, including the critically acclaimed intimate arena staging at Chicago’s Candlelight Theatre. Phantom, as seen by Kopit and Yeston, has many advantages over the Webber extravaganza. According to Kopit, the problem with earlier versions is that much of the background between the Phantom and Christine is unexplained. “1 tried to face the question of why he’s involved with Christine. . . .We wanted an emotional connection between the two.” said Kopit. The Phantom, accordingly, hears Chris tine singing and is compelled enough by her raw talent to become her teacher. But Kopit also layers in an intense family relationship. The result is a “Phantom with heart.” Between Kopit’s psychologically charged story and Yeston’s delightful songs, this Phantom offers a more emotional and touching journey than the ponderous music and technical spectacle of the acclaimed Webber version. As Frank Young, director of the Houston premiet said, “This Phantom talks to audiences who are still mote interested in the chatacters than they are in flying chandeliers.” The Kopit and Yeston version is now enjoying a long deserved success. The atres from coast to coast, as well as in Scandinavia have launched productions of the show, and it has toured successfully in Germany. Says Arthur Kopit: “One of the reasons theatres are excited about doing our Phantom is that there is no Broadway
production, and therefore no clones they feel obliged to produce. They love the opportunity to do their own show based on a story that is both loved and very familiar.” Otterbein College has seized this opportunity, launching a production that is both technologically stunning and emotionally captivating. It seems inevitable that each production of Phantom will be compared to the Webber version. Despite the strengths mentioned above, Yeston downplays such a sense of competition. “1 think it's fair to say that we're just glad our version is being seen," says Yeston “. . .there’s certainly room for more than one version of Phantom. "Aaron Carter, Dramaturg
KENNEDY CENTER AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATER FESTIVAL XXIX Presented and Produced by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Supported in Part by The Kennedy Center Corporate Fund The U.S. Department of Education The National Committee for the Performing Arts and Ryder-Celebrating 11 years of support to KC/ACTF This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KC/ ACTF). The aims of this national theater program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for adjudica tion by a regional KC/ACTF representative, and certain students are selected to participate in KC/ACTF programs involving awards, scholarships, and special grants for actors, playwrights, designers, and critics at both the regional and national levels. Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for inclusion at the KC/ ACTF regional festival and can also be considered for invitation to the non-competitive KC/ ACTF national festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, in the spring of 1997. Last year more than 900 productions and 18,000 students participated in the American College Theater Festival nationwide. By entering this production, our department is sharing in the KC/ACTF goals to help college theater grow and to focus attention on the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION Latecomers’ Policy: The House Manager may seat latecomers only during times which minimize disruption of the play. The management accepts no responsibility for inconve nience to latecomers and can make no adjustment because of it. Fire Notice: The exit indicated by a red light nearest to your seat is the shortest route to the street. In the event of fire or other emergency please do not run - walk to that exit. Cameras and Recording Devices: The use of recording equipment and the taking of photographs during a performance are strictly prohibited. Restrooms and Telephones: TTte restrooms and telephones are located off the corridor, immediately beneath the lobby. Administrative Office 614/823-1657 Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00 p.m.
Mailing Address Otterbein College Theatre 30 S. Grove Street Westerville, Ohio 43081
Box Office 614/823-1109 Monday through Friday 1:30-4:30 p.m. and 1 hour prior to all performances
This program is printed on 100% recycled paper.